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SEALED BY THE HOLY GHOST

“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6:27)

In this verse, Jesus was exhorting the people to “labour” for meat that would never perish! In fact, this meat would endure all the way to inheriting everlasting life.

This “meat” is actually the flesh of the Son of Man which is the Word of God. As Jeremiah the prophet declared:

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart:” (Jeremiah 15:16)

Then Jesus went on to state an interesting fact. He explicity declared that the Father had “sealed” him.

When did this sealing take place? It took place at the river Jordan when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and the Holy Ghost came upon him:

“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:” (Matthew 3:16)

“And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

Though Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, he did not proceed into ministry until the Father had sealed him by His Spirit. And it wasn’t until this “sealing” that the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil forty days.

“And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.” (Mark 1:12-13)

How does this apply to Christians today? Well, in a number of ways.

First of all, unless a professing Christian has actually been sealed by the Holy Ghost, he’s not really a Christian. He might go to church for political or social reasons. He might fill out a government census and “write in” that he’s of the Christian faith … but this does not make him a Christian. To be a Christian, one has to actually partake of the Spirit of Christ, which is the Holy Ghost. As John the Baptist declared concerning Jesus:

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” (Matthew 3:11)

The Apostle Paul also confirmed this:

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9)

But…

“…if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

Secondly, as the previous verse implies, when an individual receives the Holy Ghost, he’s actually receiving a promise and is sealed within that promise for all eternity, as the scriptures declare:

“Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:2)

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” (Ephesians 1:7)

“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:” (Ephesians 1:11)

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,” (Ephesians 1:13)

“Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:14)

Now, we’re not here to debate the old theological issue of “Once Saved, Always Saved”; however, those of us who are more mature can remember when our mothers canned fruits and vegetable on a regular basis. Everyone who has ever been involved in the canning process knows what a “seal” is. Without a good “seal”, canned vegetables would not only spoil, but would be subject to botulism and could actually kill the person who ate them.

The good news is:

If human beings know how to produce a good “seal” to preserve fruits and vegetables, how much more does our heavenly Father know how to seal His children with the Holy Ghost until such a time that it is needful to “open” that vessel unto eternal life and enjoy the fruits thereof!

“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” (Romans 8:22)

“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:23)

This is our purchased possession which Christ bought for us with his blood. This is our inheritance in God by which we are SEALED through the power of the Holy Ghost dwelling within us … until that day comes that we can redeem our purchased possession and enjoy it in all its fullness!

Thirdly, the true Christian needs the power of the Holy Ghost within him in order to withstand all the wily temptations and afflictions of the devil. A Christian does this through the power of the Word of God dwelling in his heart (if he’s been faithful to “eat” the Word of God as Jeremiah did).

You see, if a Christian will bother to study, receive and implant the Word of God into his heart, the Holy Ghost is faithful to “bring up” that Word for the individual when he experiences times of trouble, distress and temptation. They will be words of comfort and encouragement direct from scripture which will enable him, by faith in those words, to endure all things.

As Jesus Himself stated to His disciples:

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shallbeinyou.” (John 14:16-17)

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:18)

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teachyouallthings, and bringallthingstoyourremembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26)

As we fellowship with Jesus Christ through prayer and the written Word, He speaks many things to our hearts which cause us to grow up into Him in all things. And every time the occasion demands it, the Holy Ghost which dwells within us is faithful to bring those things to our remembrance that we might be strengthened and edified … even though we may be in the midst of fiery trials and afflictions!

You might well ask, “What of those Christians who appear lazy in the things of the Lord and may even have all the appearances of being a backslider?”

Well, if they’ve ever truly been sealed by that Holy Spirit of promise, they will not be able to “wiggle” themselves loose out of the hand of God. This is because of two, scriptural reasons:

1) “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this SEAL, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19)

2) “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:31-32)

Those Christians who refuse to judge their walks with the Lord, will be “chastened” by a faithful Father who loves them as His own adopted children:

“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:” (Hebrews 12:5)

“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Hebrews 12:6)

“If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12:7)

“But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” (Hebrews 122:8)

“Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9)

“For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.” (Hebrews 12:10)

Not only this, but those who have truly been baptized with the Holy Ghost, neither desire to walk away from the Lord nor continuously desire to be consumed with the affairs and pleasures of this world:

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)

How can a true Christian, who has received the Holy Ghost and has God as His Father, ever be content walking in the ways of the devil? It’s impossible!

So, in conclusion, the only question that remains is:

“Have you ever been truly sealed by the Holy Ghost?”

If you have, then you possess the “witness” of the Holy Ghost within yourself that you are, indeed, a child of God!

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” (Romans 8:16)

“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:17)

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

So, having the confidence and assurance of this wonderful, eternal Seal of the Holy Ghost …

“Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” (Hebrews 13:13)

“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” (Hebrews 13:14)

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